When we were children, practicing was frequently the bane of our existence.
Endless loops of cursive handwriting; sticky valves on rented clarinets; stubborn keyboard ivories that mocked our stubby fingers. Practicing brought little joy as we outlasted clocks.
But then, perhaps, we found some sweet proficiency—some pleasing skill still short of smooth perfection. We scored the winning soccer goal; our fingers or our voices shared a recognizable tune.
And so it is as we learn grace. Against the backward pressure of our fears, we sing to others and ourselves of mercy when we least deserve it; of God’s rich kindness finally overwhelming all our callousness. We now rehearse the stories of what Jesus did; what He is doing; what He will do. “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son” (Rom 5:10).
Practicing the gospel is all about repeating what is really true against the echo of our past. The Father still calls prodigals back home; embraces all who stumble on the way; forgives the ones who never seem to get the tune just right. Day by day, we grow in grace as we remind ourselves of Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
Keep practicing until you’re sure He got it right.
And stay in grace. -Bill Knott
GraceNotes: Grace Moved By Love (August 24, 2018)
A Hymn To Grace (August 17, 2018)
GraceNotes: God's Gracious Timeline (August 10, 2018)
ViewPoint: Staying Out (August 2018)
House Call: From Parent To Child (August 2018)
Wilona Karimabadi: Remember (August 2018)
GraceNotes: In Full (August 3, 2018)
Digging Deeper: Deception (August 2018)
GraceNotes: All of Grace (July 27, 2018)
GraceNotes: Glorious Exception (July 20, 2018)
GraceNotes: The Reach of Grace (July 13, 2018)
Digging Deeper: The Trinity (July 2018)
GraceNotes: A Victory For Grace (July 6, 2018)
Cliff's Edge: The Apocalyptic Monsters Category (July 2018)
Lael Caesar: For Peace? (July 2018)
Searching The Obvious: Standing Ovation (July 2018)
GraceNotes: Grace and Self-Denial (June 22, 2018)
Introducing The Why: Applying Filters (June 2018)
GraceNotes: Changing The Storyline (June 15, 2018)
GraceNotes: Grace and Patience (June 8, 2018)
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